Thermal module

ABSTRACT

A thermal module includes a vapor chamber ( 1 ) and a cooling plate ( 2 ) placed on a surface ( 100 ) of the vapor chamber ( 1 ). The cooling plate ( 2 ) includes a board ( 20 ) and a half-pipe member ( 21 ). The board ( 20 ) has a combination surface ( 200 ) and a cooling surface ( 201 ), the combination surface ( 200 ) is attached to the vapor chamber ( 1 ), and the half-pipe member ( 21 ) is integrally formed with the board ( 20 ) on its cooling surface ( 201 ). The half-pipe member ( 21 ) is recessed into the combination surface ( 200 ) of the board ( 20 ) and protruded from the cooling surface ( 201 ). Therefore, the half-pipe member ( 21 ) can improve heat dissipation, and the board ( 20 ) is in face-to-face contact with the vapor chamber ( 1 ) to provide a good sealing effect and facilitate easy production.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a heat dissipating device and, in particular, to a thermal module for a liquid-cooled heat dissipating system.

BACKGROUND

Computers or other electronic devices which have a heat generation element are often cooled by a liquid-cooled heat dissipating system using a coolant for heat dissipation. However, the liquid-cooled system is known to have a problem with leakage of the coolant.

In conventional liquid-cooled heat dissipating systems, a rubber sealing ring is often used in assembling of components, so as to achieve a sealing effect to thereby prevent leakage of the coolant. The sealing effect can also be achieved by welding instead. However, with limitation of a contact area between the components, parts in the liquid-cooled heat dissipating system can expel heat but there is a poor sealing problem resulting from the sealing ring or difficulty of welding, thus causing leakage of the coolant and low product yields.

In view of this, the inventor studied various technologies and created an effective solution in the present disclosure.

SUMMARY

It is an objective of the present invention to provide a thermal module to improve heat dissipation and to avoid leakage of a coolant of a liquid-cooled heat dissipating system, thereby facilitating easy production, increasing product yields, and providing a good sealing effect with high stability for use.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a thermal module including a vapor chamber and a cooling plate. The vapor chamber includes two surfaces. The cooling plate is disposed on one of the two surfaces of the vapor chamber. The cooling plate includes a board and a half-pipe member. The board includes a combination surface and a cooling surface. The combination surface of the board is attached onto the vapor chamber. The half-pipe member is integrally formed with the board on its cooling surface. The half-pipe member is recessed into the combination surface of the board and protruded from the cooling surface.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The disclosure will become more fully understood from the detailed description and the drawings given herein below for illustration only, and thus does not limit the disclosure, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective exploded view illustrating a thermal module according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective assembled view according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a schematic view illustrating the interior of the thermal module;

FIG. 4 is a schematic view illustrating the thermal module in use according the first embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective exploded view illustrating the thermal module according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Detailed descriptions and technical contents of the present invention are illustrated below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. However, it is to be understood that the descriptions and the accompanying drawings disclosed herein are merely illustrative and exemplary and not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.

Please refer to FIGS. 1 and 2 for a perspective exploded view and a perspective assembled view illustrating a thermal module according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The thermal module can be used in a liquid-cooled heat dissipating system, so that when a coolant is passing through, a vapor chamber can cool the coolant. The thermal module includes a vapor chamber 1 and a cooling plate 2 which is disposed on and coupled to the vapor chamber 1.

The vapor chamber 1 includes a first plate 10 and a second plate 11, the first plate 10 and the second plate 11 are superposed on each other to form an accommodating space 12 (see FIG. 3), and the accommodating space 12 is sealed by the first plate 10 and the second plate 11 to be in a vacuum state and is filled with a working fluid (not illustrated) inside. A capillary tissue portion 13 is attached onto an inner surface of the accommodating space 12. As shown in FIG. 3, the vapor chamber 1 includes two surfaces 100, 110. The surface 100 is defined on an exterior surface of the first plate 10, and the other surface 110 is defined on an exterior surface of the second plate 11. To be specific, when the first and second plates 10, 11 are superposed on each other to form the vapor chamber 1, the two surfaces 100, 110 in a sheet shape are the two greatest exterior surfaces of the vapor chamber 1.

The cooling plate 2 is disposed on the vapor chamber 1 to allow the coolant from the liquid-cooled heat dissipating system to pass through, so that the vapor chamber 1 can absorb the heat from the coolant to cool it down. The cooling plate 2 includes a board 20 and a half-pipe member 21, the board 20 includes a combination surface 200 and a cooling surface 201, the combination surface 200 of the board 20 is attached onto the vapor chamber 1, the half-pipe member 21 is integrally formed with the board 20 on its cooling surface 201, and the half-pipe member 21 is recessed into the combination surface 200 of the board 20 and protruded from the cooling surface 201. The cooling plate 2 is attached to the surface 100 of the vapor chamber 1 by attaching the combination surface 200 of the board 20 thereto or welding or other thermal adhesion method. The half-pipe member 21 can be integrally formed with the board 20 by means of pressing. The flat board 20 enables the cooling plate 2 to be attached in face-to-face contact relation to the vapor chamber 1.

In details, the half-pipe member 21 recessed from the combination surface 200 of the board 20 forms a channel 210 with the surface 100 of the vapor chamber 1. The channel 210 has a first end port 211 and a second end port 212, and the first end port 211 communicates with the second end port 212 through the half-pipe member 21 extending on the cooling surface 201. The half-pipe member 21 is bent in turning configuration utilizing effectively the area of the cooling surface 201 to thereby extend the length of the channel 210.

The thermal module of the present invention is constituted by the above-mentioned structure and parts.

As shown in FIG. 4, the thermal module is connected to a piping 30 of the liquid-cooled heat dissipating system by means of a pipe joint 3. That is to say, after the first end port 211 and the second end port 212 are each connected to one pipe joint 3, the piping 30 of the liquid-cooled heat dissipating system can make the thermal module be part of its circulating course. Therefore, after the coolant of the liquid-cooled heat dissipating system enters the half-pipe member 21 from the first end port 211, the coolant passes by the vapor chamber 1 through the channel 210 inside the half-pipe member 21 to be cooled, and then flows back to the liquid-cooled heat dissipating system via the second end port 212 to thereby achieve heat dissipation.

Furthermore, please refer to FIG. 5 for a perspective exploded view illustrating the thermal module according to the second embodiment of the present invention. The half-pipe member 21 of the cooling plate 2 can have more turns arranged depending on the area of the cooling surface 201, so as to extend the length of the channel 210. Also, according to the configuration of the liquid-cooled heat dissipating system, the first and second end ports 211, 212 are arranged at the same side (as shown in FIG. 5), opposite sides (as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2), or adjacent sides (not illustrated) of the board 20.

In the thermal module, the board 20 of the cooling plate 2 is coupled to the vapor chamber 1, the board 20 and the vapor chamber 1 can make face-to-face contact with their respective surfaces to achieve a good sealing effect. As a result, the half-pipe member 21 integrally formed with the board 20 can be easily coupled to the surface 100 of the vapor chamber 1 to ensure the sealing effect of the channel 210 inside the half-pipe member 21, thereby avoiding leakage of the coolant flowing inside, facilitating easy production, increasing production yields, and enhancing stability for use. Meanwhile, the cooling surface 201 of the board 20 increases an area for heat dissipation.

In summary, the present invention can certainly achieve the anticipated objects and solve the problems of conventional techniques, and has novelty and non-obviousness, so the present invention completely meets the requirements of patentability. Therefore, a request to patent the present invention is filed according to patent laws. Examination is kindly requested, and allowance of the present invention is solicited to protect the rights of the inventor.

It is to be understood that the above descriptions are merely the preferable embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Equivalent changes and modifications made in the spirit of the present invention are regarded as falling within the scope of the present invention. 

1. A thermal module, comprising: a vapor chamber (1) including two surfaces (100), (110); and a cooling plate (2) disposed on one surface (100) of the two surfaces (100), (110) of the vapor chamber (1), the cooling plate (2) integrally formed with a board (20) and a half-pipe member (21), the board (20) including a combination surface (200) and a cooling surface (201), the combination surface (200) of the board (20) being attached onto the vapor chamber (1), the half-pipe member (21) being integrally formed with the board (20) on its cooling surface (201), the half-pipe member (21) being recessed into the combination surface (200) of the board (20) and protruded from the cooling surface (201), wherein the vapor chamber (1) includes a first plate (10) and a second plate (11), the first plate (10) and the second plate (11) are superposed on each other to form a rectangle-shaped accommodating space (12).
 2. The thermal module according to claim 1, wherein the combination surface (200) of the board (20) is attached in face-to-face contact relationship to the surface (100) on which the cooling plate (2) is disposed.
 3. The thermal module according to claim 1, wherein the half-pipe member (21) on the board (20) is bent in a turning configuration.
 4. The thermal module according to claim 1, wherein a channel (210) is formed between the half-pipe member (21) and the surface (100) on which the cooling plate (2) is disposed.
 5. The thermal module according to claim 4, wherein the channel (210) includes a first end port (211) and a second end port (212), and the first end port (211) communicates with the second end port (212) by means of the half-pipe member (21) extending on the cooling surface (201).
 6. The thermal module according to claim 5, wherein the first end port (211) and the second end port (212) are at the same side, opposite sides or adjacent sides of the board (20).
 7. The thermal module according to claim 5, wherein the first end port (211) and the second end port (212) are each connected to a pipe joint (3).
 8. The thermal module according to claim 1, wherein the accommodating space (12) are sealed by the first plate (10) and the second plate (11) to be in a vacuum state.
 9. The thermal module according to claim 8, wherein the surface (100) of the vapor chamber (1), on which the cooling plate (2) is disposed, is formed on an exterior surface of the first plate (10), and the other surface (110) of the vapor chamber (1) is formed on an exterior surface of the second plate (11).
 10. The thermal module according to claim 9, wherein a working fluid is filled in the accommodating space (12), and a capillary tissue portion (13) is attached onto an inner surface of the accommodating space (12). 